In the southern province of Mersin, authorities have fined at least 17 women for allegedly participating in a demonstration that never took place. The penalties are based on Turkey’s Misdemeanor Law. The activists affected claim that this is politically motivated repression.
According to the authorities, the women in question participated in an unauthorized gathering on September 16, 2025. However, research by activists has shown that no such action took place in the city on that date.
Particularly striking is the case of DEM Party politician Nuriye Arslan, the deposed co-mayor of the Akdeniz district. She was proven to have been in custody in the high-security Bünyan prison in Kayseri province on the day in question, yet she is still required to pay a fine for allegedly participating in the demonstration that actually did not take place.
Members of the local women’s platform protested against the fines in front of the courthouse in Mersin. Spokesperson Fatoş Sarıkaya described the fines as “arbitrary attempts at intimidation” aimed at reducing the visibility and organization of women in public spaces. “These penalties are more than a bureaucratic error. They are exemplary of patriarchal state action that seeks to suppress feminist voices,” said Sarıkaya.
The women announced that they would take legal action against the fines. They are confident that they will win their case in court, as has been the case in similar situations in the past. Among other things, the activists referred to previous rulings by the Turkish Constitutional Court, which has repeatedly spoken in favor of the right to peaceful assembly. “We will not be intimidated by fines and repression,” Sarıkaya said. The activists, she added, will take to the streets on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The press statement ended with the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” [Woman, Life, Freedom].